7 Brew Coffee Just Got Approved for Lakeville's Marketplace at Cedar
TLDR
7 Brew Coffee got unanimous planning commission approval for a drive-thru stand at Marketplace at Cedar in Lakeville.
The ~900 sq ft building will have two drive-thru lanes and no indoor or outdoor seating.
Construction is targeted for fall 2026 with a roughly four-month build time.
7 Brew's Apple Valley location is opening in mid-June — Lakeville would be the second south metro location.
7 Brew Coffee is officially headed to Lakeville. The planning commission voted unanimously on May 7 to approve a conditional use permit for the fast-growing drive-thru coffee chain to set up shop at Marketplace at Cedar, the new commercial development at 179th and Cedar Avenue.
What Is 7 Brew?
If you haven't heard of 7 Brew yet, you will soon. The chain — originally out of Rogers, Arkansas — has exploded to over 700 locations across 38 states and is now aggressively expanding into the Twin Cities market. The franchisee behind the Minnesota push, Kueber Coffee Minnesota, plans to open more than 60 stands in the metro by 2030.
Their model is different from your typical coffee shop. There's no menu board. Staff walks out to your car and takes your order — think Chick-fil-A, but for coffee. They offer over 20,000 drink combinations: coffee, tea, Italian sodas, shakes, smoothies, hot chocolate, energy drinks — pretty much anything you can think of.
The Lakeville Location
The Lakeville stand will be about 900 square feet total — roughly 510 square feet for the main building plus a small 38-square-foot cooler. It's going in at Marketplace at Cedar, east of Cedar Avenue and south of 175th Street, in Lakeville's M2 mixed-use Cedar Corridor zoning district.
Two drive-thru lanes wrap around the building — the interior lane has about 150 feet of stacking space (room for about nine cars), and the exterior lane has about 190 feet. Access comes from a private drive on the south side, not directly off Cedar Avenue.
There's no indoor seating and no outdoor patio. This is 100% drive-thru. The building itself uses grade-A materials on all elevations, and a revised landscape plan adds a continuous shrub line around the drive-thru to keep headlights from shining toward the road.
Parking and Traffic
The 7 Brew lot has 17 parking spaces on-site, plus 75 shared spaces on the adjacent lot to the east — that's a future multi-tenant commercial building. Total: 92 spaces, which meets code. Each stand typically employs 50-60 people with about four to six working per shift.
Jerry Wendell, representing 7 Brew, said a typical stand sees around 1,000 transactions per day across multiple locations — so expect solid traffic through the drive-thru, especially during morning and afternoon rushes.
When Will It Open?
The applicant is targeting an August or September 2026 construction start, with a build time of about four months. So a late 2026 or early 2027 opening seems realistic.
Meanwhile, 7 Brew's Apple Valley location — also on a site near Pilot Knob Road — is set to open in mid-June 2026. If you want to try 7 Brew before the Lakeville stand is built, that'll be your closest option.
Winter Concerns
Commissioners asked about snow clearance around the two drive-thru lanes and the landscaping. Wendell said he didn't expect issues, noting he'd previously built Caribou Coffee locations with even tighter single-lane layouts. The building also has exterior heating for staff who work outside taking orders.
The Bottom Line
The project heads to the Lakeville City Council on May 18 for final approval. No neighbors spoke at the public hearing. If you live along Lakeville's Cedar Avenue corridor, the Marketplace at Cedar development is steadily filling in — and 7 Brew is the latest brand to lock in a spot.
FAQ
Is this the same 7 Brew that just opened in Apple Valley?
Same chain, different location. 7 Brew's Apple Valley stand is expected to open mid-June 2026. The Lakeville location would follow later, likely opening in late 2026 or early 2027.
Do they only sell coffee?
No — they have over 20,000 drink combinations including energy drinks, teas, Italian sodas, smoothies, shakes, and hot chocolate. Coffee is the headliner, but the menu goes way beyond that.
Can I go inside and sit down?
No. There's no indoor seating and no outdoor patio. It's entirely drive-thru service.
Where at Marketplace at Cedar is it going?
East of Cedar Avenue, south of 175th Street, in the new Marketplace at Cedar commercial development. You'll access it from a private drive on the south side of the property.
How does ordering work if there's no menu board?
Staff comes out to your car with a handheld device and takes your order directly. It's similar to the Chick-fil-A model — no static menu board, no speaker box. You tell them what you want (or ask for recommendations) and they build it.
